This invention relates to electronic commerce. More specifically, this invention relates to electronic-transaction records, depositories for such records and the use of such records in subsequent electronic transactions.
A not atypical web-based shopping experience involves a consumer going to the website of a first merchant—a toy retailer, for example—to find and purchase a first item, then navigating to a second merchant—a big-box discount retailer, for example—to find and purchase a second item, etc. The consumer pays for the first item at the checkout page of the first merchant, for the second item at the checkout page of the second merchant and for subsequent items at the checkout pages of respective merchants.
The checkout “page” of a website, however, tends to be several pages long. The process of checking out can mean filling in forms on one page after another. Where the checkout page sequence is not particularly well implemented, a mistake on one page may require the consumer to re-enter not only the information entered improperly on a form but all information on the form—even the correctly entered information. The penalties for errors are multiplied where a consumer visits multiple websites in a shopping excursion.
Accordingly, the art seeks a shopping service that simplifies the shopping process for a consumer that shops at multiple websites.
These and other goals of the invention will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art on reading the background above and the description below.